“Sport has the power to change the world.
It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite
in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a
language they understand. Sport can create hope
where once there was only despair.”
Nelson Mandela
Sport Matters is a new non-profit organisation
dedicated to making a difference in people’s lives
using sport as a tool for development in the Pacific,
Asia, Africa and Indigenous Australia.
Our vision is a world where everyone is active, healthy, included,
empowered and free from poverty.
Our mission is to enhance aid and development strategies
using the power of sport as a tool for social change.
Why Sport Matters
Access to sport and physical activity is a
fundamental human right. Sport is well recognised
internationally as a low-cost and high-impact tool
for development and a powerful agent for social
change. It is a culturally accepted activity that
brings people together and unites families,
communities and nations.
Effective sport-for-development programs
combine sport and play with other non-sport
outcomes to achieve the desired development
objectives. The focus is not on mass
participation or performance in elite sport. This
requires a purposeful, professional and socially
responsible intervention that is tailored to the
social and cultural context. Sport is
under-utilised as a development tool and
should be an integral component of any
comprehensive development program.
“Many Millennium Development Goals may be realised
through sport, it is very suited for developmental work.”
Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for development and Peace
Innovation
We take a fresh approach to development
using sport where it hasn’t been used before.
Through innovative leadership, Sport Matters
identifies and designs strategies that respond
to identified needs and use sport to achieve
specific development goals, working with our
community partners.
Monitoring and evaluation
We develop effective monitoring and
evaluation strategies, clear program goals
and objectives and logical processes to
measure impact in development terms.
Partnerships
We create new partnerships and ongoing
relationships between the aid and
development sector, the sport sector, and
community organisations.
Advocacy
We raise the profile in Australia and
internationally of the power of sport to
achieve development outcomes and advocate
for human rights.
Capacity-building
We design strategies that enhance the
abilities of individuals and organisations
to build social capital as well as develop
knowledge, skills and attitudes. We enable
local community sport-for-development
programs to create sustainable solutions to
meet their development needs.
Technical assistance
We support and advise organisations in
strategy development for new and existing
programs, offer a sport-for-development
audit for organisations, and deliver
professional development for staff.
Visit our website to find out how Sport Matters can
help your organisation and sign up to receive the
Sport Matters e-news. www.sportmatters.org.au
Contact us: Sport Matters Level 32/1 Market Street Sydney
NSW 2000 AUSTRALIA [email protected]